ABSTRACT

God is perfectly merciful. He is also perfectly just. Perfect contrition on the part the repentant is what makes the difference. 1John 5,16-17 distinguishes between venial and mortal sin but yet defines every sin as sin. The difference between Peter and Judas is their mode of approach to God’s throne of mercy. Jesus foretold Peter’s denial just as he foretold his betrayal. Denial is a form of betrayal. But whereas in Matt 26,69-75 Peter went out and wept bitterly after he remembered the words of Christ concerning his denial. Judas in Matt 27,3-5 saw that Jesus was condemned. He also felt remorse for his action but then went and hung himself. Peter’s remorse could be seen as metanoia (repentance from the heart) and Judas’ as metallomai(repentance from the head). Abstracting from this but from the backdrop of the action of the prodigal son in Luke 15,17-20 this paper posits perfect contrition (metanoia) as the master key ensuring one of God’s mercy. The paper sails from exegetical prism to a pastoral application of the hermeneutical implication of the text.